Grubhub and the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Are Giving Thousands of Dollars in Grants to Latino-Owned Restaurants

Restaurants have taken multiple hits during the ongoing pandemic. And while many business owners turned to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, government intervention only helped so much. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reported a UCLA study found that majority-white areas got more PPP business loans than majority-Latino areas.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 32% of Latino-owned small businesses closed between February and April 2020 compared to only 17% of their white-owned counterparts.

And while we are no longer in strict lockdown mode, we are, unfortunately, not out of the woods yet. People are still suffering, businesses are still suffering, and many business owners are afraid for the future.

Thankfully, there are organizations out there willing to help. On Wednesday, Grubhub and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced that they are partnering for a Restaurant Small Business Grant Program, an initiative that will give grants of between $5,000 and $10,000 to 300 Latino-owned restaurants in need.

“As our restaurant industries work to re-open their doors and look towards recovering, they’ll need access to the resources and tools offered by the USHCC national network, now more than ever before,” said USHCC President & CEO Ramiro A. Cavazos in a statement.

“Many of the Hispanic-owned restaurants who managed to stay open and not completely shut down, are looking for guidance and support as we work to jumpstart the economy and get people back to work,” he continued. “We are excited to partner with Grubhub on this important initiative and applaud these efforts to support minority-owned restaurants who are struggling so much during the pandemic.”

Last year, during Hispanic Heritage Month, Grubhub made the USHCC their official partner that month for Grubhub’s “Donate the Change” campaign. “Donate the Change” is an ongoing campaign that allows customers to round up their change to the nearest dollar on their order to donate to one of Grubhub’s charity partners. According to GrubHub, this year’s grants are funded by the proceeds of last year’s campaign.

One study found that Latinos hold 30% of the restaurant and food service jobs in the U.S., while making up 18% of the nation’s restaurant owners. Food — making it, eating it, gathering around it — is a pillar of many Latino families and communities. And having such a large part of Latino communal behavior be so impacted by COVID-19 has not been easy.

According to Grubhub, applicants for the USHCC & Grubhub Restaurant Small Business Grant Program must match the following criteria: 1) the restaurant must be majority Hispanic-owned, 2) have an active EIN number, 3) have less than 20 full-time employees, and 4) have been in operation for at least nine months.

Apply to the grant here. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.